A Milwaukee County jury Friday convicted Kevin Kavanaugh of stealing more than $51,000 from money donated to help veterans and their families.

Prosecutors said the 62-year-old Kavanaugh had skimmed the money from bank deposits and phony withdrawals from accounts for the local chapter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, a veterans service organization.

Kavanaugh, of Cudahy, was treasurer of the group.

He didn’t testify at the trial and said nothing following the verdict. Sentencing on the felony conviction was sent for Dec. 7. Kavanaugh, who had no prior criminal record, faces up to 10 years in prison and a $25,000 fine.

Prior to being a convicted felon, Kevin Kavanaugh had been named by then-County Executive Walker to the county Veterans Service Commission.

Kevin Kavanaugh’s felony conviction brings the total number of Walker associates and aides who’ve been convicted of felonies to three, with former Walker deputy chief of staff Tim Russell still to stand trial on his felony theft charges.

2 Responses to Scott Walker appointee convicted of felony theft

Wisconsin politicians are becoming as corrupt as the pols in Illinois. While Illinois is locking up its political scum, Wisconsin politicians are reaping in the cash of corruption.

Illinois recently convicted Governor Blagojevich and power brokers “Fast Eddie” Vrdolyak and William Cellini. Cellini is a Republican who was convicted of soliciting a bribe for Democratic Governor Blagojevich. Talk about bipartisan corruption!

In Wisconsin we had Republican Assembly Speaker Scott Jensen and Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Chvala convicted of a variety of felonies involving political corruption. Chvala is persona non grata with Democrats, whereas Jensen remains a leading Wisconsin Republican mover and shaker as a member of ALEC and the leader of the MacIver Institute. Why do Republicans allow Jensen to have ANY involvement, much less power, in Republican politics?

Now we have Kevin Kavanaugh, a former aide to Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, convicted of stealing money from a fund for widows and orphans of U.S. soldiers who fought and died in Iraq and Afghanistan. Embezzling money from widows and orphans of our brave soldier heroes! How low is that? How can anyone be any lower?

Another example of corruption is the Kochs buying out illegal Walker contributor William Gardner and his railroad. I am confident there are many more examples to be discovered. All these millions in outside money going to Wisconsin Republicans surely include quid pro quos.

Scott Walker reminds me of Rod Blagojevich. Walker is stupid and arrogant like Blagojevich. I firmly believe it is not a matter of if Walker will be convicted. It is only a matter of “when” and for what crimes.

Let’s hope the grand jury brings the indictments quickly and with severe felony charges. The people of Wisconsin do not want our state to turn into Illinois.

I’m from Illinois, and the similarities between Scott Walker and Rod Blagojevich are downright alarming. The Milwaukee County, WI District Attorney, John Chisholm, and his group appear to be building a case against Scott Walker and have been doing so for some time.

I used to be able to admire Wisconsin for having a long-standing tradition of good government. Now, Wisconsin is becoming as corrupt as, if not even more corrupt than, Illinois.